Oz Blog News Commentary

Last – Senator Bob Day set to put families last once more before bankruptcy

October 25, 2016 - 12:19 -- Editor

It was families last earlier this month when families were finally informed that the “Great Australian Dream” was for them turning into a nightmare of epic proportions at the hands of a Senator for the ironically named party Family First.

Senator Bob Day of Family First announced that he would be resigning as a Senator as his group of companies Home Australia Group goes into liquidation and Day it is expected, will soon be forced to declare bankruptcy.

This leaves hundreds of families facing peril as they have placed their hopes, dreams, and critically their finances into something that suddenly has been pulled away from under them. One hopes that the banks and financial institutions dealing with these poor families will do the right thing for as we have seen the Turnbull government has no intention of holding them to account for previous failures, rorts and scandals.

Speculation is rife that Bob Day’s construction group of companies has been trading insolvent for several years. The fact that Day was waiting for a huge cash injection from a foreign entity, Philippine’s based Goshen Capital Resources only reinforces that speculation.

I approached Senator Day for comment on allegations of insolvent trading but he is yet to respond.

Trading insolvent is not only immoral, it is highly illegal. Repercussions include civil penalties, compensation proceedings and criminal charges. With ASIC citing this as a possibility;

“a director may also be subject to criminal charges (which can lead to a fine of up to $220,000 or imprisonment for up to 5 years, or both). Being found guilty of the criminal offence of insolvent trading will also lead to a director’s disqualification.”

While all of this may not help the victims of Day’s business practices, it may be of some comfort to know he will not be part of the Senate any longer.

However Day has not officially resigned from the Senate as yet, he is holding off to vote on the Coalitions ABCC legislation that seeks to attack the union movement, in particular the construction unions.

The Coalition assure us there are criminal elements involved in the construction industry. They want one of those alleged criminals to have a vote in the Senate before being forced out it would seem.

The fact that a failed building contractor turned failed Senator is clinging on to vote against a union that protects working families like the ones he has left heartbroken and facing financial ruin, is a badge of shame the Coalition seem to wear with pride.

Bob Day wants the families he has left homeless and facing financial ruin that the unions are the bad guysImage – Herald Sun

The Coalition accepting the vote of this Senator whose eligibility to vote is under an enormous cloud of doubt should make people’s blood boil. Certainly, the families caught up in this crisis will feel as if they are being kicked in the guts by the Turnbull government.

Bob Day, as a failed building contractor has a conflict of interest regarding this bill in the eyes of most. However where most people see a conflict of interest and those poor families involved face financial crisis, the Coalition see a free kick.

Bob Day has always been a key backer of the Liberal Party. He has supported the bulk of their legislation and viewpoints and was a member of the Party before joining Family First.

Like Pauline Hanson, Bob Day failed in his bid to be preselected as a Liberal Candidate. Pauline and Bob are the fish that John West rejected. Fortunately for them Pauline ran a fish shop and went it alone, and Bob had a lot of money he could donate to Family First from his construction group that is now in liquidation.

Bob Day should not only be disqualified from voting for what is now confirmed, but should he be found guilty of insolvent trading any legislation passed via his vote could be deemed invalid. If legislation has passed due to the vote of a Senator who was ineligible to be in the Senate then things could become quite interesting as legislation passed or voted down by one vote goes under the microscope.

For a Party that has carried on like children in the past about “tainted votes” over unproven allegations then surely one would think that they cannot accept the vote of soon to be Ex-Senator Day over admitted and proven facts related to his financial affairs in the construction industry.

However there is little doubt they will accept Bob Days vote. It is expected the government will once again show it will happily take any political advantage it can muster, despite it being at the expense of young families left shattered and then hung out to dry. It matters not to Turnbull and his Party whether those families are in Sydney, Melbourne or Nauru.